If you prefer green, open spaces and Michelin-starred restaurants to ‘trendy’ pop-ups and moustaches, everyone knows that West is best! Sitting on the outskirts of west London, Hammersmith might not be your first port of call when thinking of a fun day out. However, for us at serviced apartment agency, Check-in-London.com, Hammersmith is home and we’ve grown to be rather fond of it. Here are some of our favourite things to do in Hammersmith:
In fact, the district is home to many other companies including Coca-Cola, L’Oréal and Disney meaning that it’s a vibrant area packed with great bars, restaurants, entertainment and interesting people. Still not convinced to make the trek west? Try out our list of things to do in Hammersmith to see if we can convert you.
10 am: Breakfast
Start your day just a minute’s walk away from the station at adorable French crêperie, La Petite Bretagne. Featuring tables decorated with cute gingham print, French newspapers available to read and jars of salted caramel lining the walls (which you can buy to eat at home later!), it’s a little slice of Brittany smack bang in the middle of Hammersmith.
And if, like us, your image of crêpes has been tainted by those Nutella-sodden ones you get served out of the side of food vans, their sophisticated goat cheese, rocket salad, mango chutney and ham crepes which you can enjoy with a glass of wine will come as a pleasant surprise. Bon Appétit!
11 am: Brewery Tour
With so many offices located in Hammersmith, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s a wealth of brilliant pubs nearby to keep workers hydrated! However, the district’s connection to beer doesn’t just end there as Fuller’s Griffin Brewery is located close nearby.
Find out about your favourite tipple by going on one of their tours where you will be lead around the brewery and learn about the brewing process from the raw material to packaging stages. The tour ends the only way it should do… with a tasting!
2 pm: Lunch
Making the end of the working week that little bit brighter for office workers all around Hammersmith, Lyric Square is home to a Farmers Market on Thursdays and a World Food Market on Fridays.
Mainly made up of street food stalls, it’s the perfect place to stop by for lunch and by 2 pm the queues will have dwindled so you won’t have to fight through a huge crowd to get your fill. You can expect sinfully delicious sausage rolls and pulled pork baps from Lardon’s, French Caribbean style saltfish bokits and possibly London’s most notorious falafel. We hold our own ‘Falafel Thursdays’ in honour of their glory and queues of up to half an hour aren’t unusual.
3 pm: Explore the River and Gardens
One of the benefits of venturing outside of central London is a whole new kaleidoscope of colours opening themselves up to you! It can be easy be easy to get used to the various shades of grey, grey and more grey in the centre but Hammersmith’s parks and gardens offer the perfect antidote with their healthy doses of green.
Take a stroll down the ‘Hammersmith Riviera’, which has stunning views over the Thames before stopping in one of the traditional riverside pubs for a quick, pick-me-up brew. Continue your riverside views with a walk in Ravenscourt Park which is located slightly off-the-beaten-track so remains refreshingly calm even in the height of summer. Discover the secret walled garden in the north-east corner, with tall columns wreathed with roses and winding stone pathways leading to quiet benches where you can enjoy a few peaceful moments away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
6 pm: Dinner
So it might be a little (eye-wateringly) pricey but if you want to experience the crème de la crème of dining in Hammersmith, booking yourself a table at The River Cafe is a must. It still deservedly clings on to the same Michelin-star that it won in 1987 and counts Heston Blumenthal as one of its regular diners.
Aiming to bring the flavours of an Italian home to London, you can expect an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients, plenty of homemade pasta and meat finished in their wood-fired oven. If you want the very best dining experience, head there in summer to eat outside on garden tables in their tranquil, leafy courtyard.
8 pm: Show
Finish your day in style at one of Hammersmith’s crown jewels, The Lyric theatre. Aiming to showcase some of the most groundbreaking, provoking and eclectic theatrical performances, you’re sure to be in for a treat whether you opt for a cheesy panto in their main auditorium or a spoken word performance in their smaller studio
Whatever you do, make sure to find some time to venture up to their rooftop garden. Packed with more leafy greenery, secluded seating, atmospheric lighting and views over the district, it’s the perfect place to end your day in Hammersmith.
Written by Jess Astbury from Check-in-London.com. Check out their blog for more tips and guides from local Londoners.